THE EXILED WARLORD

Chapter 11: Revenge Wears No Rings

"Stop the wedding!" Adrian's voice thundered across the grand cathedral, cutting through the sacred silence like a knife.

The guests gasped.

Some clutched their chests, others stood in shock. Cameras dropped. All eyes turned toward the altar.

Adrian stood firm, his black tuxedo dusty from crawling through hidden passages to reach the pulpit.

 He removed his mask and gasps filled the air as familiar faces finally recognized the ghost they thought long dead.

Marcus stood quickly, his hand twitching toward the guards. "Seize him!"

"No," Adrian raised a hand, voice steady. "Let me speak. One last time."

There was hesitation. Even Marcus, ever so arrogant, wanted to hear what he had to say.

Adrian turned to Evelyn, who stood frozen beside Damien. Her white gown shimmered but her face had gone pale.

"You want to marry her?" Adrian said, staring at Damien.

"Fine. But let everyone here know exactly who she is. What she did. What they all did."

He turned to the crowd.

 "I was framed. Thrown into a torture camp called Blackstone. Accused of betraying the country I bled for. All of it... a lie. Orchestrated by these so-called leaders."

"That’s a lie!" one of the generals shouted.

Adrian looked toward him. 

"General Huxley, is it? You were the one who confirmed the fake reports. The orders never existed. I’ve got the copies now. You signed off on missions I never attended. Because they never happened."

"You expect us to believe you after disappearing for months?" another barked. 

"You had your trial. The world saw the evidence. You're delusional."

Adrian clenched his jaw. "The world saw their evidence. Not the truth."

The murmurs grew louder. Some were now whispering amongst themselves. But it wasn’t enough. Adrian turned back to Evelyn.

"You." His voice broke. 

"Tell them the truth. Tell them I was innocent. That they forced you to testify against me. That you never meant it. I want to hear it from you. I came back... to give you a chance. A chance to deny this man standing next to you. A chance to redeem yourself."

Evelyn stared at him. Her lips trembled. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She looked at Adrian... then at Damien.

Adrian stepped closer, voice gentler now.

 "Evelyn, please... I believed in you. I loved you. I gave everything... for you."

A deep breath. Evelyn opened her mouth. Her voice was soft. "Adrian... I loved you. Truly."

A hush fell over the hall. Adrian’s eyes shimmered with hope.

"Then why?" he asked, stepping forward. "Why let them do this to me? Why let me rot?"

Evelyn looked up again, her tears now dry. Her expression changed. Cold. Sharp.

"Because love isn’t enough," she said.

Adrian flinched.

"You had no vision. No plan. Just... loyalty and dreams. You wanted me to suffer in poverty with you. I’m not built for that. I chose life. A better life. And I’d choose it again."

The room fell dead silent.

Evelyn stepped beside Damien. 

"You see that man over there? He’s not a hero. He’s a stubborn fool. A reckless ghost clinging to a fantasy."

Adrian’s fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms. His voice cracked with fury.

"You betrayed me. You used me. Lied to me. And now, you insult me in front of the same people who sentenced me without mercy."

He shook with rage.

"You said you loved me. Then spit on my grave."

Evelyn smirked. "You were never supposed to return."

Adrian’s heart pounded in his ears. His voice turned hoarse.

 "May every tear I shed become a curse. You will choke on your wedding vows, Evelyn. This day will never be what you dreamed."

Marcus stood.

 "Enough! Guards, capture this lunatic!"

Adrian reached into his jacket, pulling a small detonator. 

"Try it and half of you won't leave here breathing."

A roar of panic swept through the guests. Security hesitated.

Adrian backed away slowly, steps steady, never breaking eye contact with Evelyn.

"This isn’t over," he whispered, eyes burning with betrayal.

 "You’ll remember this face... every time you close your eyes."

He turned and bolted through the nearest corridor. 

Two guards followed, then more. Shouts echoed through the building.

Through back halls and secret paths he had memorized as a soldier, Adrian escaped.

 Just as the backup security tried to seal exits, he was already blending into a delivery truck outside.

Inside the hall, chaos reigned.

Marcus cursed violently, slamming his fist against the table.

Damien shouted at Evelyn.

 "What the hell was that?! Why didn’t you tell me you knew him this much?!"

"I didn’t think he was alive!" Evelyn snapped, trembling.

News broke out within the hour.

EXILED SOLDIER CRASHES SOCIETY WEDDING   LIVE FOOTAGE CAPTURES SHOCKING REVELATION

Clips of Adrian removing his mask. His accusations. His heartbreak. All played across screens, shared on social media.

People watched. The public began questioning everything they thought they knew about the man called a traitor.

And as night fell...

In a cold, dark hideout, Adrian stared at the footage playing back on his device. His face was stone.

"They still think this is a game," he muttered to himself.

He clicked on a screen showing news headlines. One by one, he began marking faces.

"It’s time," he whispered.

 "No more speeches. No more pleas. I gave them a chance. Now... I take what’s mine."

He picked up a silver coin from the table and flipped it once into the air.

As it landed in his palm, he smiled darkly.

"Revenge wears no rings. But it never misses."